Thera's visibly none-too-happy with Mel's speeding on city streets, and suddenly becomes interested in jalopy-driving Dave, who just beat Mel's '48 Buick convertible on the drag strip. Evidently Thera knows something about Mel and Dave, as she gives Dave's business card to Mel (even though she disapproves of Mel's driving). It turns out Dave is very, very happy to see Mel, who drives to his shop. At a drag strip time trial, "Many contestants come and spend the night, including Dave and Mel," says the overly-pleasant narrator. The two drink and smile. Mel seems happier than when he was with head-shaking, smirking Thera.
Anyway, Mel dumps his convertible for a rod hot that he (later with Dave and a buddy) get ready for the time trials at El Mirage.
The short starts with an overhead shot of the Buick on the road, likely shot on a platform in a truck ahead of it. There look to be a couple of studio shots where someone is shaking the Buick in front of a white canvas to make it look like it's on the road. Sid Davis cheese is good cheese.
Overall the short is well-filmed by George de Normand, who went on to be fired from a non-speaking role by director Fred DeCordova in the middle of filming the Fred McMurray wedding episode of "My Three Sons" (as reported by NEA's Dick Kleiner in Aug. 1969).
At the 0:30 mark, Mel and Thera are driving south along South Broadway past West Bishop. You'll see a house on the right with a gabled roof, a covered porch and a staircase to the right. The house is still there. Palm trees now line the streets. Mel drives past the same intersection again at 0:45, except the camera is looking west at the southeast corner. He drives over the same school warning twice.
Dig the wide seat belt at 8:30.
Mel wears a cap like a future Mel: Mel's Diner's Vic Tayback on the sitcom "Alice." Young Mel and his greased hair looks better in it.
There's plenty of MOS footage (sound effects are dubbed in) of races in the last five minutes of this short, designed to speed-loving young people off the street and onto the well-regulated strip.
Narrator Hugh Douglas worked at KNX and was once named "Voice of California." Whether it's the same guy, I don't know, but a Melvin Potts later became a fireman in Monrovia. Dave isn't credited in the picture.

I wasn't a teenager at this time period, but it's still a neat look back into early 50's hot rod culture and racing clubs. It's worth it for the footage of the custom coups alone.

This was a good film for 1952. However, not all teenagers interested in cars could afford such a hobby even in that era.

Not that I'm from that era, but the film demonstrates the reasons and beginnings of hot rodding venues such as drag strips and land speed venues. I was surprised to see film of speed trials at El Mirage. Way cool for a gearhead that missed out on the beginning of the sport.

There are a few minor life lessons as well: realizing two heads are better than one, comraderie will take you farther than lone wolfing it, and why spend money on a girlfriend when you can work on your car (just joking).

Way too proposterously innocous film about Drag racing. Through the often patronizing narration, we learn of a lad who learns other ways to get his kicks through speeding, by joining the drag racing club! This has almost the exact same plot as another (better) film on the site, A Cool Hot Rod. It's sort of interesting how he's got a girlfriend at the beginning of this film, yet when the final race comes along, the girl is nowhere to be seen. Well then! Cheaply made (love the "car in motion" shots), badly narrated ("These boys today will be men tommorow!" uh huh) this is as if Coronet made a Sid Davis film.

Interesting stuff for petrolheads and social scientists alike! This short film shows how 1950's 'outlaw hot-rodders' were regulated into civil society. Ironically, the exact same measures are now being taken in Europe with regards to the 'illegal street-races'. By the way, this film has an all-american happy end.